New image from 'The Wolverine'

Empire Online got a new image of The Wolverine. You can see Hugh Jackman as Logan/Wolverine in a cave/prison. Notice his claws, though — they're bone. We can only assume that this is a flashback, considering he got his adamantium claws in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

The Wolverine will be taking place in Japan, but when will it take place? Is it another prequel? Empirereports that it is not a prequel, thanks to some quotes from director James Mangold:

"Where this film sits in the universe of the films is after them all," reveals Mangold. "Jean Grey is gone, most of the X-Men are disbanded or gone, so there's a tremendous sense of isolation for him."

One has to assume that this is indeed a flashback then, all due to the bone claws. There's also been shots and video footage of Wolverine running through what looks like a Japanese POW camp. There's also been rumors recently that Famke Janssen will be making a cameo as Jean Grey, who was last seen as Phoenix, dying in the arms of Logan at the end of X-Men: The Last Stand. I hated how the X-Men trilogy ended. I hate that they killed off characters. So it bothers me that The Wolverine is acting like that movie actually happened. The X-Men disbanded? Yes, it's happened in the comics, but come on. The Last Stand really screwed everything up.

The Wolverine, of course, takes place in Japan, with Logan falling in love and getting involved in a Japanese gang war. The villain? Silver Samurai.

You can follow Movies and Culture Editor Lance Liebl on Twitter @Lance_GZ. He likes talking sports, video games, and the stupidity of celebrities. Email at LLiebl@GameZone.com

Lance Liebl
Gamer, Disney enthusiast, opinionated sports fan, movie buff, and a father of two. You can follow Lance on Twitter @Lance_GZ.